Floor care equipment such as upright vacuum cleaners and extractors, are well known in the art. An upright vacuum cleaner generally includes a body having both a nozzle assembly and a handle assembly. A suction generator and dirt collection vessel are both carried on the body. The nozzle assembly has a suction inlet and a rotary agitator that beats dirt and debris from the nap of an underlying carpet being cleaned. The handle assembly is pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly and is moved into an inclined position to allow the operator to guide the vacuum cleaner to and from across the floor.
Cord reel assemblies for vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. Such a cord reel assembly generally includes a reel upon which the electrical power cord of the appliance is wound and stored. During use the operator unwinds the cord from the reel and connects the electrical plug to a standard electrical wall outlet. Following use the electrical plug is unplugged from the wall outlet and the cord is rewound on the reel for storage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,410 to Danielson et al discloses one possible construction for a cord reel.
In the past the cord reel on an upright vacuum cleaner has been positioned on the pivoting handle assembly. This has been done for a number of reasons including the fact that the handle assembly has more room than the nozzle assembly to accommodate the cord reel and for operator convenience. An example of an upright vacuum cleaner equipped with a cord reel on the handle assembly is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,598 to Hashizume et al. While such a cord reel is useful for its intended purpose, the positioning of the cord reel in the handle or canister assembly suffers from various drawbacks.
First, the weight of the cord reel in a handle assembly is positioned well above the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner where it has a tendency to promote the inadvertent tipping over of the vacuum cleaner. Second, the opening on the handle assembly from which the electrical cord extends is positioned at a height well above the floor. In the event the electrical cord slips from the grasp of the operator, the spring loading of the reel which allows the rewinding of the cord onto the reel for storage may cause the free electrical cord to whip upwardly striking the operator.
The present invention relates to an upright vacuum cleaner equipped with a cord reel that is positioned in the nozzle assembly adjacent to ground. Thus, the cord reel is positioned closer to the floor where it will not promote potential tipping of the vacuum cleaner. Advantageously, this lowers the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner thereby increasing its stability. In addition, by positioning the electrical cord payout opening closer to the ground, the potential of being struck above the knees by a free electrical cord during the rewinding operation is substantially reduced.